Diriyah’s significance underscored by its designation as a giga-project of Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF

Hundreds of years ago, the mud-brick city of Diriyah played a key role in the development of what would one day become the nation of Saudi Arabia; now it is set to play another important role as a major tourist attraction. (Supplied)
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Updated 10 January 2023
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Diriyah’s significance underscored by its designation as a giga-project of Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF

  • The original seat of power of the Kingdom’s Al-Saud family is the subject of a $50 billion restoration project
  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman says PIF’s investment “reflects Diriyah’s status as a unique destination”

JEDDAH: For more than 500 years, the remains of the mud-brick city of Diriyah bore mute witness to the resilience, determination and the vicissitudes of fortune of the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula.

Constructed along a curve on the outskirts of Riyadh, on an oasis that split from the banks of Wadi Hanifa, Diriyah’s mud-brick walls once enclosed a thriving desert city that was a powerhouse of culture and commerce.

Its At-Turaif district, with its famous citadel, was the original seat of power for the Kingdom’s Al-Saud family. In 1727, the city was named the country’s capital, laying the foundations for what would later become a unified Saudi Arabia.




Thanks to the efforts of the king and his crown prince, Diriyah will soon be on show to the world like never before. (SPA)

In 2010, almost three centuries later, the ruins of At-Turaif were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Then, in July 2017, the area became the subject of a painstaking restoration plan aimed at bringing its historical legacy back to life.

Now, Diriyah has been added to the portfolio of the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as its fifth giga-project.

The five giga-projects form a key pillar of the sovereign wealth fund’s strategy to diversify the Kingdom’s economy by launching new sectors, promoting public-private partnerships, and boosting investment and employment opportunities.

The recognition of the site alongside the Kingdom’s other giga-projects “reflects Diriyah’s status as a unique destination with distinctive cultural, historical and tourism landmarks,” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the prime minister of Saudi Arabia and chairman of the PIF, said in an announcement on Monday.

The PIF, which manages more than $620 billion in assets, is at the heart of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan that aims to diversify the Kingdom’s economy and reduce its reliance on hydrocarbons.

Besides Diriyah, Saudi Arabia’s roster of giga-projects includes NEOM smart city, Red Sea Global’s luxury tourism development, Riyadh-based Qiddiya entertainment complex and real-estate developer ROSHN.




At the center of Diriyah’s At-Turaif district, a maze of stone and adobe mud houses, courtyards and towers, are located high citadel towers of the majestic Salwa Palace. (Supplied)

The Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) was entrusted by the Saudi government in 2017 with redeveloping the “birthplace of the Kingdom” into a world-class and sustainable tourism, entertainment and cultural destination.

Once complete, the $50 billion giga-project will feature some of the world’s most luxurious restaurants and hotels built in traditional Najdi architectural style, alongside conservation areas and cultural venues.

The DGDA will continue to supervise the site with a view to transforming it into one of the region’s foremost tourist attractions.

At the center of Diriyah’s At-Turaif district, a maze of stone and adobe mud houses, courtyards and towers, are located high citadel towers of the majestic Salwa Palace. It was here where the first chapters in the story of Saudi Arabia were written.

Extending over an area of at least 10,000 square meters, the palace at Salwa, which means solace or comfort in Arabic, is the largest single structure in Diriyah, consisting of seven architectural units built in successive stages.

The first appeared in 1446 when Manaa’ Al-Muraide, leader of the Marada clan of the Al-Duru tribe of Bani Hanifah, and “the father of the Saudi royal family,” laid the building blocks for what would become the greatest state in the history of the Arabian Peninsula.

Built in distinctive Najdi architectural style from mud bricks, straw, and logs, the walls are lined with decorative triangular windows designed to recirculate air and bring natural light into the rooms.




King Salman visited the historic site in 1981. (Supplied)

This architectural style evolved over several centuries in response to the harsh conditions, making use of the few readily available natural materials, including sun-baked adobe bricks, limestone quarried from the slopes of the wadi and timber from the hardy tamarisk tree.

Historians believe the First Saudi State was established here in 1727 when Saud’s son, Mohammed, became the ruler of the town. Imam Mohammed ibn Saud was the great-great-great-great-grandfather of King Salman and “one of the most important figures” in the history of Saudi Arabia.

Built in the Hanifah valley, the city’s emergence represented a turning point in the Arabian Peninsula’s history, as the Arab and Islamic worlds found stability and prosperity and became a destination for trade, culture, knowledge, communication and economic exchange.

After his death, Imam Mohammed’s son, Abdulaziz, continued his father’s work, and years later, his son Saud, known as Saud the Great, inherited the throne.




Diriyah has been added to the portfolio of the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as its fifth giga-project. (Royal Commission for Riyadh City)

As the Saudi state expanded, stretching from the edges of the Euphrates and the Levant in the north to Sanaa and Muscat in the south and the coast of the Arabian Gulf in the east to the Red Sea in the west, so did the threats to its control.

In 1811, Ottoman forces under the command of Ibrahim Pasha landed at Yanbu on Arabia’s Red Sea coast. It was the start of a bloody, six-year campaign that would end with the defeat of Diriyah and the abandonment of At-Turaif.

In March of 1818, the city walls were battered by shell fire, the scars of which remain visible today. Outnumbered six to one, 5,000 soldiers held the fort against the forces of Ibrahim Pasha.

For six months they stood strong to defend the fort. However, for every one of the 1,200 defenders who died, 10 of Pasha’s men were killed in battle. Leading the Saudi soldiers was Imam Abdullah bin Saud.

When the siege was finally over, the Ottomans withdrew from Najd, but not before laying waste to Diriyah, destroying buildings and fortifications. They also cut down every single date palm tree, undoing years of patient cultivation and condemning people across a wide area to starvation.

Although Diriyah and At-Turaif had been left in ruins, torn by unrest, assassinations, civil war, and later seized by the Ibn Rasheed clan in 1891, they remained in the hearts of the surviving members of the Saud family.




The recognition of the site alongside the Kingdom’s other giga-projects “reflects Diriyah’s status as a unique destination with distinctive cultural, historical and tourism landmarks,” said the crown prince. (SPA)

In 1902, a 16-year-old Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Saud, son of the exiled last imam of the Second Saudi State, and a small band of warriors, stormed the fortress of Masmak, 20 km southeast of At-Turaif, and reclaimed the throne.

He united the nation from east to west, with Riyadh as the new capital of the Saudi state, on Sept. 23, 1932. Four decades later, Diriyah would rise again, this time as a new town on the outskirts of the rapidly expanding capital.

Fast forward to 2017, and an ambitious plan was launched to transform Diriyah into a global historical, cultural and lifestyle destination.

With it, SR27 billion ($7.1 billion) would be added to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product, 55,000 jobs created and 27 million visitors attracted per year.

Once complete, the site will feature at least 28 luxury hotels and resorts, about 400 of the world’s finest luxury and lifestyle brands, and more than 150 fine-dining restaurants and premium cafes.

There will be more than 3,000 residential units in the traditional Najdi design and another 300-plus luxury branded residences.

The site will also host a brand new academic institution, King Salman University, which will focus on heritage, culture and the arts, alongside several new cultural institutes specializing in Najdi architecture and mud-brick building, poetry, falconry, Qur’an recitation, local theater, dance, music and the culinary arts.

Other cultural assets will include a grand mosque that can accommodate more than 10,000 worshipers, six museums focused on Saudi history, replete with a period village, not to mention the Al-Turaif UNESCO World Heritage site itself, and the Al-Taleh Center, the focus of whose work is the region’s farming heritage.




Diriyah is known for its decor and architecture. (Supplied)

These developments have not gone unnoticed in the wider region. Diriyah has been chosen to be the Capital of Arab Culture for 2030. It has already hosted the JAX Arts Festival and the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale, a platform that supports the artistic and creative movement and helps keep pace with the cultural transformation of the Kingdom.

Diriyah is also set to host many more major sporting events. With its distinct road network, it has been a popular choice to host the world-famous Formula E racing event over the years. Diriyah was also host to “Clash on the Dunes,” the first heavyweight boxing championship to be held in the Middle East.

Such is the power and importance of Diriyah to the Saudi story and history of the Arabian Peninsula that the once abandoned city has once again taken center stage, becoming the crown jewel of the Kingdom.

Diriyah: past, present and future
On Saudi Arabia’s 91st National Day, the birthplace of the Kingdom continues to make history

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Tokyo firm partners with Saudi hospital to advance stem cell treatment system

Updated 27 June 2025
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Tokyo firm partners with Saudi hospital to advance stem cell treatment system

TOKYO: ADR Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Cytori Cell Research Institute, Inc., has signed a Letter of Intent to conduct a joint clinical trial for “90-minute complete stem cell therapy” with the King Abdullah International Medical Research Center.

The collaboration, reported in PR Times, is expected to drive medical innovation in the Middle East and bring new hope to patients with intractable diseases that were previously considered difficult to treat. 

In conventional stem cell therapy, harvested cells must be cultured for anything between several weeks and months at a dedicated facility, resulting in high costs and long waiting times. ADR Therapeutics’ Cellution System purifies non-cultured cells from a patient’s tissue to the state needed for treatment in just 90 minutes and can be administered on the same day of collection.

This provides a safe and effective treatment option for diseases such as osteoarthritis, diabetic foot lesions, Crohn’s disease and chronic pain. The risk of rejection is extremely low because the patient’s own cells are used and the risk of infection is reduced because no culture process is required.

Saudi Arabia has positioned the medical and healthcare sector as a key strategic area in Vision 2030, the national transformation program led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and aims to become a world-leading medical hub.

The number of patients in the Middle East with diabetes and other chronic diseases is rapidly increasing due to changes in lifestyle, and a rising number of cases are difficult to treat with conventional therapies.

It is expected the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and Japan in the medical field will be further strengthened by the contribution of Japan-originated stem cell therapy technology to solving local medical issues.

The most important feature of the treatment is that it can be performed at ordinary medical institutions without the need for advanced culture facilities or specialized technicians. This will enable the provision of advanced regenerative medicine in regions with limited specialized facilities and is expected to contribute significantly to improving access to medical care.

Saudi medical professionals will be able to acquire the latest stem cell therapy technology through specialist Japanese doctors providing direct technical guidance locally.


The art of diplomacy through Saudi cuisine

Updated 27 June 2025
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The art of diplomacy through Saudi cuisine

  • Food is a way to share cultures and build bridges, says YouTube star

RIYADH: According to Saudi chef and food blogger Eman Gazzaz, diplomacy can be achieved through food and other cultural practices.

The daughter of a diplomat, Gazzaz is more than a home cook — she is an artist and a mother of three who is turning simple dishes into soulful stories. She also wants to form cultural bridges through her work, as she explained when she appeared as a guest on the Mayman Show.

Growing up as the daughter of a Saudi ambassador, she dreamed of following the same path. In many ways, she did — but her “embassy” was her kitchen and she chose food, rather than politics, as her language.

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After a childhood spent in various continents, Gazzaz now has a YouTube kitchen that feels like home and has taken it upon herself to show the world what real Saudi food and real Saudi women are all about.

During her interview, she recalled her time living in different parts of the world and her parents’ creative expression.

“My parents are very diverse. And they’re not just diplomats; they are creative in many ways. My dad is a gardener; he collects old antique cars, he collects old pocket watches,” she said.

She has fond memories of living in Pakistan during her father’s tenure in the late 1980s: “It’s a beautiful country; the people are so beautiful. Living in six countries and just being exposed to the world and the different cultures they have, it’s just like … it creates something in you as an individual. It makes you more connected somehow.”

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Her exposure to different cultures and the connections she made helped her become the person who is now presenting the joy of Saudi cooking to the world. She carries her experiences with her — the countries, the cultures and the people — and some of what she has seen means she is especially appreciative of the stability and security she enjoys in Saudi Arabia.

“That’s what made me as Eman, what changed me as somebody who lived abroad,” she said. “I appreciate coming to Saudi Arabia and the safety and the security that we experienced. When I was studying in the American school in Karachi, one of my classmates got kidnapped. And he was kidnapped for six months.”

Gazzaz explained that previously she traveled around with a bodyguard and in a bullet-proof car to ensure her safety and security.

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“Every time I come to Saudi Arabia I’m just like, ‘We don’t have to lock the door, we don’t have a bodyguard, nobody is carrying a gun.’ That made me feel like… coming back home made me feel so safe,” she said.

Eman also recalls a childhood memory of making a popular Saudi dish with her father.

“Every time we go outdoors, he always cooks the same dish and it’s actually one of my favorite dishes, which is saleeg (a white rice dish, cooked with broth and milk),” she said.

“I used to help him do the chicken, strain the stock and take the food out. And I grew up tasting these flavors and just eating the saleeg outdoors and being part of that experience, just me being so close to saleeg. My daughter loves saleeg as well.”

Cooking was always a family affair. Gazzaz’s mother was known for her delicious salads, while everyone had a role to play in preparing meals.

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“From both sides of my parents, they were very good cooks. My dad is very good at barbecuing,” she said. “He loves to go to the beach every weekend. When we were living abroad, he always rented a place, and he used to make the barbecue and marinate (the food) and barbecue it.”

Her own YouTube fame, Gazzaz credits to both her husband and her friend, Alia. Back in 2010, Alia visited for a month and revealed she had her own channel, Cooking with Alia.

“When she came, she’s like, ‘Eman, I have a YouTube channel.’ Back in 2010, YouTube was like five, six years old, It was still very new,” recalled Gazzaz.

Alia wanted her to present Saudi dishes on YouTube — something that made Gazzaz pause. At that time, it was not common for Saudi women to show their faces on social media, so she replied that she would have to ask her husband.

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His response, said Gazzaz, was: “Do what you want.”

“He is a Miami boy, so he’s very chilled,” she explained.

She took it as an opportunity to show off her national dress, as well as the food.

“(I thought) I’ll wear my abaya, I’ll put on my tarha (scarf), introduce my clothes and my outfits and things like that, and that’s what we did,” she said. From there, grew the first Saudi channel that introduced the world to the Kingdom’s culture through food.

Gazzaz has also written a book, “A Saudi Mandela,” which is a meditation and coloring book for adults.


Saudi Arabia deploys drones to monitor coastlines, protect marine resources

Updated 27 June 2025
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Saudi Arabia deploys drones to monitor coastlines, protect marine resources

  • Drones to provide live video of 2,480km coastline
  • Quicker to spot pollution, says watchdog’s official

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Environmental Compliance has launched a drone-based program to monitor the Kingdom’s 2,480-km-long coastal areas, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The NCEC will carry out the initiative in cooperation with the Marine Operations for Environmental Services organization.

Drones will provide live video feeds for real-time analysis, to help detect activities that threaten marine resources, the SPA reported recently.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline in the west extends from the Gulf of Aqaba in the north to Jazan province in the south, measuring 1,830 km.

In the west, the coastline is 630 km, stretching from the northern border with Kuwait to the southern border with Qatar.

Amer Bamoneef, director-general for network monitoring at the NCEC, said each drone will operate for up to 55 minutes per sortie, covering 20 km, with data transmitted instantly to control rooms.

“By leveraging advanced technology, we can expand coverage and detect harmful practices more efficiently,” he said.

Bamoneef added that drones enable quicker responses, allowing teams to promptly investigate pollution sources and identify those responsible.


KSrelief opens obstetrics and gynecology clinic at Gaza hospital

Updated 27 June 2025
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KSrelief opens obstetrics and gynecology clinic at Gaza hospital

  • The Saudi aid agency launched the new facility in partnership with the UN Population Fund, which works to improve reproductive and maternal health worldwide
  • The clinic is in the Patient Friends Benevolent Society Hospital, which was founded in 1980 in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighborhood

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has officially opened a gynecology and obstetrics clinic at the Patient Friends Benevolent Society Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

Founded in 1980, the hospital in Gaza City’s Al-Rimal neighborhood is one of the few that remain operational in the territory amid devastating attacks by Israeli forces during their ongoing war with Hamas, which began in October 2023.

In cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund, KSrelief inaugurates the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic in a Palestinian hospital in the Gaza Strip. (SPA)

KSrelief opened the clinic on Wednesday in cooperation with the UN Population Fund, which works to improve reproductive and maternal health worldwide. The initiative is part of Saudi efforts to support the Palestinian people and help improve and maintain the healthcare services available to them, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

On Thursday, Saudi authorities delivered $30 million in funding to the Palestinian Authority. It was the latest installment in ongoing financial support from the Kingdom that Palestinian officials said has been instrumental in efforts to maintain the health and education sectors. It has helped meet the costs of running hospitals, purchasing medicines and medical equipment, keeping schools open, and providing other essential services.
 

KSrelief inaugurates the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic in a Palestinian hospital in the Gaza Strip. (SPA)

 


How AI-powered voice tech is bringing Arabic-language content to global audiences

Updated 27 June 2025
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How AI-powered voice tech is bringing Arabic-language content to global audiences

  • CAMB.AI and Saudi Arabia’s MBC Group have launched a partnership, applying context-aware, real-time translation
  • AI voice tech preserves tone, emotion, and nuance, transforming how Arabic content is localized across 150+ languages

JEDDAH: Dubai-based artificial intelligence company CAMB.AI is revolutionizing language localization by building advanced voice and translation models that preserve emotion, nuance and cultural context — especially in complex languages like Arabic.

Through a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia’s MBC Group, CAMB.AI is scaling this technology across entertainment, education, and spiritual content — unlocking a new era of accessibility for Arabic media.

“At CAMB.AI, we have built translation and voice models that adapt to the nature of the desired language rather than merely mimicking the input,” Akshat Prakash, the company’s chief technical officer and co-founder told Arab News.

Camb.AI chief technical officer and co-founder Akshat Prakash. (Supplied)

“Whether it’s the emotion in the voice or the way certain things are said in Arabic, we are dedicated to preserving nuances, emotions and prosody to deliver what we call a ‘performance-to-performance’ impact.

“We take content and deliver a fully packaged performance through our localization infrastructure built on top of our proprietary AI models — BOLI and MARS.”

CAMB.AI successfully generated multilingual commentary for an MLS NEXT Pro match using AI-driven real-time voice translation and dubbing technology.

Its core capability lies in an AI dubbing platform that instantaneously translates live audio (such as play-by-play commentary) into multiple languages.

The language generator preserves the original speaker’s voice, tone and emotion — making it feel as if the original commentator is speaking the listener’s native language.

“Solving live sports streaming first led us to create technology that could handle the hardest type of content,” said Prakash.

“Today, we livestream games in multiple languages alongside some of the biggest brands in the world — like Major League Soccer, Eurovision and the Australian Open.

“We can perform equally well on other types of content. For instance, we’ve translated complex performances such as the Nayla Al Khaja-directed psychological thriller, ‘Three,’ which was showcased at the Red Sea Film Festival.”

The film was the first Arabic movie to be AI-dubbed into Mandarin Chinese and other complex languages, preserving nuances, context, and emotion while staying true to the director’s original vision.

Today, CAMB.AI excels at delivering culturally and contextually sensitive adaptations of original performances — while maintaining realism — in over 150 languages.

“No technology on the market offers such diversity, realism, and public proof points of what AI can enable in hyper-realistic translation. We’re proud to extend this work to every Arabic dialect — something no other technology has been able to do,” Prakash said.

As global demand for non-English content continues to rise, IMAX is turning to AI to localize its original films and documentaries more efficiently.

In partnership with CAMB.AI, it has delivered content in multiple languages, demonstrating the power of technology to translate complex, dramatic material.

“CAMB.AI has consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible — creating AI that delivers real value in the form of revenue and cost efficiencies to global content owners and distributors,” said Prakash.

“We’ve learned that deploying AI requires a hand-in-hand partnership. It takes not only great technology but also great partners who are willing to explore the uncharted. MBC is exactly that kind of partner for us in MENA, establishing what is probably the biggest MediaXAI deal since Runway x Lionsgate.”

Prakash explained that partnering with MBC Group was a natural decision due to its vast scale, diverse content library, and strong regional presence. More significantly, the collaboration was rooted in a shared set of values.

This partnership goes beyond the Runway x Lionsgate deal and sets a new benchmark for how media and AI can collaborate.

MBC Group and CAMB.AI have also taken the lead in regional innovation. With projects like Stargate and HUMAIN, the Middle East and North Africa region is quickly becoming a global hub for powerful, homegrown AI.

Prakash emphasized that CAMB.AI has remained extremely conscious of privacy, data protection and respect for individual attributes.

“While regulatory frameworks are still developing, we have been self-regulating to respect individual rights and content ownership. We drive our business ethically,” he said.

“Our foundation is simple: Not everyone can be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”

With one of the most comprehensive Arabic content libraries in the world, MBC Group is uniquely positioned to support more advanced and accurate AI outcomes in this space

Fadel Zahreddine, director for emerging technology at MBC. (Supplied)

The emerging technology team at MBC, led by Fadel Zahreddine, is at the forefront of innovation, aligning perfectly with CAMB.AI’s mission.

“Our content spans the full spectrum of Arab identity, from Gulf dialects to Levantine, North African, and everything in between, capturing not just language, but also tone, emotion and social nuance,” Zahreddine told Arab News.

“Through this collaboration with CAMB.AI, we see an opportunity to contribute data that is not only linguistically rich but also responsibly curated. Our multimodal archive, covering video, audio and text, offers a strong foundation for advanced AI applications that are more contextually aware and locally grounded.”

As one of the region’s largest content producers, MBC Group constantly explores new ways to strengthen connections between programming and global audiences.

“This includes expanding how our content is distributed across platforms like Shahid, satellite TV and digital services,” said Zahreddine. “Enhancing localization is one layer of the broader effort to remove friction between content and audiences.”

DID YOU KNOW?

AI voice tech preserves tone, emotion and nuance, transforming how Arabic content is localized across 150+ languages.

CAMB.AI powers live sports translation for global events like MLS, Eurovision and the Australian Open — in real time.

AI-dubbed Arabic thriller ‘Three’ debuted in Mandarin, highlighting CAMB. AI’s ability to localize content without losing cultural depth.

This collaboration between MBC Group and CAMB.AI reflects a broader effort to explore how Arabic content can connect more meaningfully with non-native-speaking audiences.

By moving beyond literal translation and toward context-sensitive localization, the partnership supports a more accurate and respectful representation of original creative work

For Arabic creators and producers, this opens up the possibility of reaching wider audiences while maintaining the cultural authenticity that defines their storytelling.

It is not about changing the content but about removing barriers that might limit how it is experienced in other cultural contexts.

MBC Group approaches innovation through the same lens that has shaped its editorial philosophy for decades — grounded in cultural integrity, social responsibility, and a strong commitment to its audiences.

“We believe that technology and ethics are not separate conversations but (are) deeply connected — especially when building tools that shape how content is consumed and understood,” said Zahreddine.

“We have around 65 nationalities working at MBC. Our multicultural environment is reflected in the cultural sensitivity of our content production.

“Our extensive media library is developed (with) high ethical standards, avoiding obscene content, excessive violence or any form of hate speech. This discipline not only protects the integrity of our content but also makes it a reliable data foundation for engaging with AI and emerging technologies.”

By sharing responsibly curated material, MBC Group contributes to the development of AI models that better reflect the ethical values embedded in its programming and are aligned with audience expectations.

Zahreddine added: “While AI continues to evolve rapidly, we believe it’s essential that any advancement remains anchored in principles that respect culture, identity and shared community standards.”